A delicious korean rabokki

Rabbokki (korean bubble-and-squeak)

Korean food is notoriously difficult to make. If it isn’t some rare and exotic ingredient it’s a long and convoluted cooking process, which is a shame ‘coz Korean food is so darned tasty! I recently discovered a recipe for rabbokki (라볶이), which is kinda like a Korean version of bubble-and-squeak in that you can pretty much chuck whatever you like in there as long as you’ve got the basics (i.e. rice cake and chilli paste). It’s very easy to make, and uses ingredients that aren’t too exotic – although some of the items you’d still have to get from a […]

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A fresh start to 2010

Welcome to the new-look THRIFTerrific! What do you think, do you like the new design? I was inspired by the success of the refresh project for cyberseraphic, motivated by the vast improvements that the self-hosted version of WordPress offers over Blogger/Blogspot, and spurred on by scoring a free domain name from COVE during a Christmas giveaway (the same company that is also hosting all of my blogs now). By the way, if you find any pink stuff on the site, it’s because I missed something while customising this retina-burning monstrosity. If you could drop me a note in the comments […]

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Jolly good time to shop, wot wot!

With the Aussie Dollar currently trading at a 25-year high against the Pound Stirling, it’s the perfect time to grab a bargain. Here are a few places you’ll want to check out: Book Depository For seasoned Internet shoppers, the Book Depository would probably have been the first place that came to mind. Offering prices cheaper than almost anywhere else on- or off-line, and with free international shipping, it’s a popular destination for book lovers and students alike. Amazon UK Everybody knows about its brother in the US, but Amazon also has a presence in other countries (including Japan and China). […]

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Bloomin’ generosity

I’ve spoken a lot about saving money on THRIFTerrific, but as they say: you can’t take it with you to the grave. I believe that generosity is an act that doesn’t have returns that can be measured in dollars; it’s an investment in your own humanity, which some might say has spiritual benefits. Far be it for me to tell you how to spend your time and money, but I would occasionally like to use this blog to highlight various charities or non-profit organisations that I feel are worth contributing to, especially in this season when you’re likely to be […]

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Conjure up the savings on foreign exchange

[Update: As of November 2010, the Wizard Clear Advantage Mastercard was rebranded as 28 degrees Mastercard due to GE Money no longer having the rights to the name after selling Wizard Home Loans back in 2009. Other than the branding change, the card functions in exactly the same way as the old one.] Need a break? I certainly do. Luckily for me I’m going on holiday next week, and as part of the trip we’ll be visiting a couple of the major Asian destinations, Hong Kong and Korea. Of course shopping will be very high on the list of things […]

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Environmentally friendly spring cleaning

You wouldn’t think it from the weather in Sydney this long weekend, but we’re officially in Spring season, and of course, that means spring cleaning! Get started with these tips: Avoid harsh chemicals Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks, those cleaning products won’t provide you with a miracle cure for getting rid of dirt. The best treatment always has been, and always will be, elbow grease and a natural ingredients. For instance: baking powder (bi-carbonate soda) makes a wonderful cleanser. It removes discolouration in the bottom of teacups, and works wonders for removing stains from your pots and pans Use a […]

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Going out of print

With the recent announcements from both Murdoch and Packer camps about charging for Web content, it looks as if print is finally conceding defeat to online media. I’m sure there are folks out there who count this as a triumph for the environment, but ironically, reading news on the Internet may not be as eco-friendly as they think; the environmental cost of making the computer plus the electricity required to run it probably far outweighs the impact of cutting down a few trees (which are renewable anyway). However, far be it for me – a geek – to harp on […]

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Around the house: saving water

I realised that my last few articles have all been about shopping, so let’s take a break and look at other ways in which you can make a difference in your world for a change :-) You probably already know this, but Australia’s climate follows a cyclical weather pattern influenced by various winds and ocean currents, which scientists have dubbed El Niño and La Niña. A friend of mine recently “predicted” that we’re heading towards another drought because of El Niño, which, according to studies by the Bureau of Meteorology, means that we can expect less rain. The cycle sure […]

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Per unit pricing

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that Coles and Woolies have started introducing per-unit pricing. That is, the price tag for products won’t just show how much the product costs, it’ll also show in smaller print how much it costs according to a standard unit of measure. For example, for a 500g jar of Brand A peanut butter costs $6.49, and the price tag also shows you that it costs $1.30 per 100g. This becomes useful when you start comparing different sizes in the same product range. Say the 200g jar of the same brand peanut butter costs $2.99, […]

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That’s so last season

Yesterday my wife and I went to Birkenhead Point, where we paid $200 for something that used to cost $420 at retail. It was from the designer’s winter range, but because her spring collection is already out it’s considered out of date, and winter isn’t even over yet! (Although we have been having some unusually warm weather in Sydney lately.) If you’re not after the absolute latest styles (but without sacrificing fashionability!) then it pays to shop at factory outlets. You can get perfectly good stuff at significantly-less-than-retail prices. If you’re lucky you might even find something in one of […]